Drones airborne to sell San Diego homes

Drones airborne to sell SD homes

“We pick and choose our jobs,” said Haywood. “I know we don’t get them all because I don’t fly them all.”

Haywood said he doesn’t know how many people are using the drones, but imagines the competition to be 10 times what it was just a year ago. He said for the jobs he does choose, the price ranges from about $350 for producing raw video to several thousand dollars for a full product, which includes an agent interview. He’s gone to Jamul, La Jolla, Ramona, and anywhere there’s an estate that could use a high-up view. Haywood said the videos go on YouTube and are compatible with the Multiple Listing Service.

In Rancho Santa Fe, 3SixtyStrategies, a Westlake Village-based company, flew the drone outside, filmed inside with a traditional camera crew, and interviewed Lawless Christ about the home for sale. The package typically costs $4,000. The drone alone would be about half that, but that’s a rare request, said Sergio Gonzalez, who owns 3SixtyStrategies.

“I think the aerial use of the drone is like icing on the cake,” he said. “It just puts the signature stamp on it that says you’re not going to get this anywhere else.”

Gonzalez, who subcontracts the drone from Aero Optics, of Santa Barbara County, said he’s done about 20 homes in the last year, ranging in asking price from $800,000 to $12 million.

Of course, not every house is listed for such a high price, with the median in the county at about $410,000. Some real estate agents just buy a Phantom quadcopter drone for as low as $480 on Amazon.com, attach a Go-Pro, and make their own video. That’s what Lawless Christ did for about five other homes before she hired 3SixtyStrategies.

“It’s part of the jigsaw puzzle,” she said. “It’s another very valuable piece, I feel, of promoting a property, in a way that also encourages other people to promote it.”